


Specialist First Class

by meyari



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Don't Ask Don't Tell, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meyari/pseuds/meyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before he was culled Ronon was a scientist.  Coming to Atlantis was a way to reclaim that part of himself.  He got more than he expected as John fell for him hard, despite everything that stood in their way.  Fortunately for them, the rest of the expedition had their six.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Specialist First Class

**Author's Note:**

> Scientist!Ronon, painfully transparent (except to himself) John, handwavey science, doubts, first kisses, DADT concerns, blow jobs.

"So what did you do before you got culled?" John asked.

He warily walked Ronon through the halls to the infirmary. Ronon wasn't swaying as he walked, which was a wonder and a half to John. The guy seemed to be made of solid steel, not flesh and blood. The rusty bloodstains on his leathers made that a lie.

"Specialist," Ronon said. He glanced at John as if that should be self-explanatory.

"Okay, but what does a specialist do?" John asked impatiently.

He was pretty sure he was pushing it. Ronon had just had a tracking device cut out of his spine with no anesthesia, fought it out with Ford, and been swept off to new world. He had to be exhausted. John was pretty sure he must have pulled his stitches out fighting. Ronon sighed at John's demand. He looked younger than John had thought when they'd fought, and completely exhausted. He peered at the wall rather than answer John's question.

He was strangely fascinated by the way the way the transporter worked once John coaxed him into it. His fingers twitched and he ran a hand over the control panel. It didn't respond to him as though he had the gene but he still grinned with delight when John showed him how it worked and let him push the button to take them where they needed to go. He reluctantly left the transporter once they'd arrived. John gave up getting an answer to his question. He'd figure it out later, once Ronon was a little more relaxed around them.

"The talkative one, McKay," Ronon said just before they walked into the infirmary. "What he does. Figure stuff out, make it work, come up with solutions to problems, support the soldiers."

"You were a scientist?" John asked. He stopped dead in his tracks to stare up at Ronon.

"No, Specialist," Ronon said. His lips twitched into a tired smile. "Specialist First Class."

"Cool." John drew the word out and grinned up at Ronon. Ronon's tired smile became a little wider, a little more real at John's delight.

Over the next few days it became obvious that 'Specialist First Class' meant that Ronon was at Radek and Rodney's level of intelligence and he _knew Ancient technology_ in ways that they could only dream of. He'd grown up around it. He'd trained in how it worked, how to fix it, and how to jury-rig it once it stopped working. He was one hell of a fighter but he was just as likely to take a gun apart to figure out how it worked as he was to practice with it. John was more than a little impressed when Ronon told him that he'd created his gun while on the run.

Once Rodney got over his fear that Ronon was going to eat him, he petitioned Elizabeth to let Ronon join the science team. Of course it wasn't quite a petition. It was ranting and raving about how much help Ronon could be in figuring out Atlantis' systems. He'd already helped solve a huge power junction problem with a couple of words of explanation and a well time whack to one of the systems. John still wasn't sure how his little whacking machine worked exactly but they hadn't had any problems with the power junction since it started getting reliable, properly timed whacks. Rodney had a detailed explanation that involved loose fittings, worn crystals that couldn't be replaced and thresholds of electrical resistance that were overcome by the impacts but John had tuned out shortly after Rodney started explaining. He just knew that it worked and Ronon had created it.

At first John watched from the sidelines of Ronon's cultural assimilation. Pretty quickly he found himself wading in, doing his best to help Ronon sort out their culture. It was surprisingly easy to get over his reluctance to talk, perhaps because of Ronon's matching reticence. As much fun as Rodney was, his endless complaining made him rather tiring to deal with. Ronon talked less than John did, which made him oddly comfortable to deal with for someone so deadly. And brilliant. Really brilliant. Seriously, stunningly, absolutely brilliant. John worked hard not to dwell on that. He knew better than to think about _that_ too much. Brains had always been one of his biggest weaknesses, especially when mixed with danger.

John developed a habit of checking the labs at mealtime. He claimed that it was to make sure that Ronon was settling in but he thought that everyone might see right through him. He chivied Ronon (and Rodney as camouflage) out of the labs and made sure they ate. Meals were a lot more fun when he got to listen to Rodney ranting and Ronon deflating his theories about Ancient technology with a few well-chosen words at strategic intervals. Teyla started joining them, making it almost like team meals with Ford, which was even better camouflage for John's growing crush. Teyla's amused looks at him made John glare at her. He really hoped that he wasn't that obvious. He couldn't afford to be to obvious, not if he wanted to keep his position.

A few weeks after Ronon arrived John convinced him to go along on his morning running. Ronon left his white scientist's jacket in his room. He also rapidly left John behind. John had to half kill himself to keep up with Ronon's ground-eating pace. Ronon's grin as John panted and wheezed at the end of the route made it worth it. John showed up at Ronon's door the next day for more. The sparring was a natural outgrowth of runs.

"I bet… I'd beat you… at sparring," John panted after one particularly painful run. His lungs felt like they were on fire and he couldn't stand up straight because of the kink in his stomach.

"You're on," Ronon said with one of his sly grin. "After dinner."

"Yeah," John swallowed hard as he wobbled towards his room for a shower. "That sounds good, buddy."

He refused to wince at the way Ronon laughed behind him. That evening they went to the gym and Ronon proceeded to prove that he was better at fighting than John. John didn't admit it after the first dozen falls. The next six made him think that maybe he had a slight masochistic side to his personality. The last three throws just made him wonder what the hell was wrong with him that he kept getting up so that he could get knocked down again. He stayed down after the last throw. The room was spinning and there were stars in front of his eyes.

"You done?" Ronon asked, peering down at John.

"Yeah," John moaned. "I'm done. Ow."

"Infirmary?" Ronon's lips were twitching again.

"Yeah," John agreed. "That sounds good. A hand?"

"Sure," Ronon chuckled, helping John up.

The amusement on Ronon's face was worth Carson's lecture and the way Rodney ranted at him for being a suicidal idiot with a penchant for corrupting his scientists. Ronon waited until Rodney left to agree to John's somewhat drug-befuddled proposal that he teach the Marines that they weren't quite as deadly as they thought they were. His agreement made up for the cracked ribs and pink pee that haunted John for a while. The sound of the Marines moaning on the floor at Ronon's feet convinced John to make the training sessions mandatory. Ronon grinned at him when he announced it. Lorne rolled his eyes but patted John's shoulder as if he was amused about something. John refused to admit that it might be him that was so funny.

Several weeks later, John convinced Elizabeth to let Ronon join the team, citing his ability to kill Wraith, his knowledge of many worlds, and his knowledge of Ancient technology. He was delighted when Elizabeth said yes, and kind of shocked when Rodney just rolled his eyes, nodded approval and went back to work with a flip of his hand to shoo John away. Working up his courage to approach Ronon about it was the hard part. This mattered to him more than it should.

"You want me to join you?" Ronon asked once John explained what he wanted. His dreads were pulled back so they wouldn't get into his latest project, whatever that was. It was spread over half the floor and every worktable in the room he'd been assigned. The core of the Ancient device he was rebuilding looked like a giant crystal snowflake.

"Yeah," John shrugged as casually as possible. "I think you'll be a great with me. With the team, I mean. The team. Not me, personally. Yeah. That's what I meant."

Ronon gave John a long look. His lips started twitching as John blushed until his ears were burning. After a minute Ronon chuckled as he checked to make sure the door was shut. He leaned over to brush his lips over John's in a tentative kiss. John's heart stopped for a second before it tried to jump straight through his chest. He groaned, catching Ronon's arm to deepen the kiss. Their noses bumped awkwardly. John practically had to stand on his tiptoes to keep Ronon there. By the time he was willing to let go he was hard as a rock and his lips felt bruised.

"I'm sure we will be great," Ronon said. His eyes twinkled with laughter and shy delight when he finally pulled back. "Sure. I'm in."

"Great," John said. His voice cracked like a teenager's. He cleared his throat and quickly adjusted his pants. "I'll… I'll let everyone know."

"See you for dinner?" Ronon called as John beat a hasty retreat.

"Yeah." John smiled back at him.

"Good."

Ronon's smile promised more than John was willing to admit. John headed down the hallway with a grin that even he knew was lovesick. Now if only he could figure out a way to keep everyone from finding out about this.

+++++

Ronon wasn't sure what the rules among the Tau'ri said about kissing military commanders. He was fairly sure from what he'd seen and heard so far that it wasn't officially allowed, like the alcohol that Miko brewed in one of the empty rooms seven levels down or the extensive stash of porn that Zelenka traded for coffee and those fermented beans he loved so much. He knew that Sheppard wanted it. That was so obvious that everyone joked (very quietly and only behind closed doors) about it. From the comments that he'd overheard people seemed to think that Sheppard had some sort of fetish for big brains.

Ronon thought it was more than that.

Sure, it was obvious from the way he treated Rodney and the other scientists that he liked smart people. He was really smart too, for all that he seemed to think that he had to hide it. He made sure that the soldiers protected and treated the specialists with respect, which in Ronon's experience wasn't exactly common. Didn't seem that common among the Tau'ri either. Still, that didn't seem to be what was going on between them. He didn't follow Rodney around the same way he did Ronon. It seemed to him that Sheppard liked brains _plus_. He needed someone who was smart and strong and fast and really competent at their jobs and able to knock him down several levels at will.

It was kind of hard to live up to. Ronon sometimes wondered if it was worth it, at least until Sheppard showed up and smiled that sly little grin filled with admiration at whatever it was Ronon had done now. He doubted until Sheppard reached out through that untouchable zone he kept around his person to touch Ronon's elbow and direct him towards some new bit of technology he'd never seen before, just so that Ronon could check it out. He hesitated until he saw the way Sheppard's eyes lit up when Ronon walked into the room. He could only doubt when Sheppard wasn't there. Once he was there it was obvious what he felt.

It was equally obvious that Sheppard didn't think that he had the right to feel that way. Ronon sighed and abandoned his reconstruction about a half hour before dinner. Maybe McKay could explain Sheppard's weird ways. The lab was quickly emptying as the other specialists wrapped up projects and headed to dinner. McKay was hunched over his keyboard, typing away ferociously. He studied the older Master Specialist. He looked exhausted but relatively calm. It was probably okay to interrupt him, even though he had the worst temper of anyone Ronon had ever met.

"McKay," Ronon said.

"What?" McKay snapped. He turned and looked at Ronon, wincing as his neck cracked. "Ow. What? What's your problem this time?"

"Needed to ask you something. Privately."

McKay sighed, turning back to his computer to save what he was working on. Zelenka poked his head up from behind another computer a few feet away, adjusting his glasses before hiding behind his computer again. McKay shut down and stood, groaning as he stretched his back out. He waved a hand at Ronon, gesturing for him to follow. Ronon did. They ended up on a balcony that had a locking door and enough wind to prevent anyone from overhearing.

"Sheppard?" McKay asked, looking amused.

"Yeah," Ronon nodded. "Is kissing him okay?"

"He kissed you?" McKay asked. He instantly perked up. Ronon thought it looked like he'd just drunk about four cups of his special coffee. "Seriously? When did this happen? Not that I'm surprised. I mean really, the man's about as opaque as plastic wrap stretched too tight but I'm really surprised that he'd make the first move that way."

"He didn't," Ronon said as his stomach started doing flips. "I did. He asked me to join the team and well… it was more like a proposal. So I kissed him. He kissed back."

"Oh." McKay looked up at Ronon with an expression that as a perfect mix of raging curiosity, jealousy and concern. "Look, has anyone explained the regs about DADT?"

"No. What's that?" Ronon didn't allow himself to fidget the way he wanted to. McKay still got a little weird about the cannibalism joke so Ronon tried not to act threatening or too large while talking to him.

"It means that his military is stupid," McKay sighed, rubbing his face with both hands. "Damn. Okay, no matter how obvious Sheppard is about you, you're not allowed to actually admit that you're interested in him or that he's interested in you. I mean, you can do things, you just can't let anyone know. Men in his military aren't allowed to be with other men and women can't be with other women, so you kissing him put him in a bad place if anyone saw it. He could be kicked out of the service and sent back home. He'd never get to fly again."

"Door was closed," Ronon said. "I made sure no one could see."

"Good, good," McKay said, thoughts spinning too fast behind his eyes for Ronon to make sense of them. "I'll have to hack the video records, make sure that there's nothing there. Your room, his room, nowhere else, got it? I can make sure that no one finds anything out there but anywhere else and you're both at risk."

"This is a big deal," Ronon commented.

He stared at McKay as he laughed, a single bark that had nothing to do with humor. The sick, worried look on McKay's face told him just how huge of a deal it was. This wasn't slap on the wrist for breaking a rule territory. It was beaten bloody and thrown in the street to die. McKay sighed, looking out over the water surrounding the city.

"He's… he's terrible at this," McKay said sadly. "Sure, sure, he's a great commander and everyone here looks up to him. They know that he'll literally die for them and I think they'll do the same for him, but he's so damned transparent when he looks at you. I've already had a dozen people talk to me about it, including Elizabeth. Some of them blame you. Some of them blame Sheppard. It doesn't really matter."

He turned and looked up at Ronon. His expression had gone serious, determined. He looked like he sometimes did when they were getting shot at. This was the same sort of thing to McKay, a deadly threat that had to be met and dealt with. The thought that an innocent little kiss was this serious made his heart start pounding. He hadn't thought that Sheppard was risking that much when he talked to Ronon.

"We need him," McKay said. His voice was barely loud enough to carry over the wind. "And it's painfully obvious that he needs you. He was so closed up when I met him in Antarctica. It wasn't until you showed up that he started opening up. I think he's been denying himself for a very long time."

"Likes you too," Ronon offered. This time he did fidget. He couldn't help it. He hated the thought that he might have screwed things up for Sheppard. He'd saved Ronon and given him a life again.

"Not like he likes you and besides I prefer girls," McKay said, shrugging. "Nice busty blond girls with brains. And long legs."

Ronon chuckled as McKay's brain obviously ran away after his mental list of bright busty blond girls. McKay shrugged at Ronon's laugh, looking a little sheepish. He sighed and looked back at the door that protected anyone from overhearing them.

"Just be good to him and keep it quiet, okay?" McKay asked. "Don't change what you're doing with the running and training but no more kisses in public. Let him keep that… field of untouchability thing he's got going until you're in one or the other of your quarters."

"I will," Ronon promised.

"See that you do," McKay said. He straightened up and went back to his normal businesslike self. "I know where you live and if you want hot water again you'll do it."

"And I know how to gimmick the transporters so you have to climb the stairs all the time, McKay," Ronon said, fighting a grin.

"I still can't believe you did that," McKay huffed while giving him an admiring look. "Still not sure why you did that to that marine, what's his name."

"He was mean to Miko," Ronon shrugged. "She cried. He earned it."

It was time for dinner so Ronon headed down to the cafeteria with McKay. He spotted Sheppard looking disconsolate while sitting with Teyla. He must have missed Ronon at his lab. Sheppard picked at his food instead of eating it. As soon as he spotted Ronon and McKay in line he lit up like he was a searchlight. McKay sighed.

"Damn I wish he could control his expressions," McKay mumbled as he took two pudding cups instead of one.

"Bad?" Ronon rumbled, taking two as well.

"Idiot, that's what he is," Rodney huffed, stomping over to the table.

Ronon sat next to Sheppard and ate quietly. He spent more time watching the way everyone else looked at them than he did trying to deflate McKay's balloons of words. Everyone was watching them. Most of the Marines watched the furtively, as if they were trying really hard not to notice the two of them together. Weir watched as if she was worried about something but was letting it sit until she'd sorted out a perfect plan to deal with the problem. The specialists looked at them as if they were adorable. The few Athosians other than Teyla watched as if they were trying to figure out why everyone else was watching.

"I'm done," Ronon said after he'd eaten his food. "Movie?"

"Sure," Sheppard said, nodding. He passed his untouched pudding over to McKay who crowed and immediately started eating it like it was the best thing ever. "You guys want to join us?"

"No thank you," Teyla said, smiling warmly while her eyes warned them to be careful. "I had planned on talking with my people tonight."

"Uh-uh," McKay grunted. "Got work in the labs. Breakthrough. Go, enjoy whatever violent piece of trash you put in. I'll be reworking the laws of science as we know them."

"As _you_ know them," Ronon quipped, grinning at the way McKay growled at him. "Some of us have better training than you do."

"You!" McKay growled. He waved his spoon at Ronon as if it was a scepter. "Go! Out of my sight, you caveman! Disparaging my infinitely better understanding of science."

Sheppard snickered at McKay's continuing rant as they dumped their trays. They didn't touch as they walked through the halls. Sheppard talked about which movie to watch, comparing the merits of Terminator (cool robots) versus Back to the Future (impossible science). They ended up in his quarters with the door firmly locked.

"Hey," Ronon said once Sheppard had sealed the door. "Is this okay?"

"What?" Sheppard asked, worry filling his eyes.

"Talked to McKay," Ronon admitted. "He kind of panicked when I said I kissed you. You're not going to get in trouble, are you?"

"Nah, it's fine," Sheppard said. He waved a hand at the world outside his quarters. "They don't know."

"They all know," Ronon said, his lips twitching again at how oblivious Sheppard was. "You're kind of obvious."

Sheppard went flaming red and then white as bone. His hands started shaking. Ronon caught his elbow and guided him to the couch, peering at him. He wasn't completely certain that Sheppard's dinner was going to stay in his stomach.

"McKay said he was going to wipe the records of the kiss," Ronon offered. "Had a bunch of people come to him with worries before that I guess. I think if they were going to say something they would have already."

"Fuck." Sheppard groaned as he pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes way too hard. "Fuck, fuck, fuck! They know?"

"Yeah," Ronon said. He wanted to hold Sheppard but that didn't seem like a good idea right now. "I think they're protecting you."

"From the military," Sheppard sighed. He let his hands drop so that he could stare out the window.

"No, they're protecting you too," Ronon said. He grinned at the way Sheppard's head whipped around to stare at him. "I watched. They're all protecting you. McKay said that if we keep it the same, only do anything in your room or mine then we should be fine. He'll keep anyone from getting anything."

Sheppard cocked his head at Ronon, an unwilling smile starting to bloom on his lips. It was like he couldn't look at Ronon's smile without smiling back at him. He was still so stiff that he looked like he'd been made out of stone, but at least he was smiling.

"This is the same Rodney that you just teased at dinner, right?" Sheppard asked.

"Yeah," Ronon nodded. "He likes you. Not like that but… a friend, I think? Have to ask him."

"And you?" Sheppard asked.

"I do like you that way, Sheppard," Ronon murmured. He dared to reach out and touch Sheppard's cheek, expecting to be rebuffed. Sheppard leaned into the touch, his cheeks going red again. "Always did have a thing for soldiers. My wife was a military doctor."

"I'm not a doctor," Sheppard said. His voice was husky like it hurt his throat to say the words.

"Don't care," Ronon whispered as he leaned close. He paused just close enough that he could feel the heat of Sheppard's lips on his own. "Still like you."

Sheppard started the kiss this time, pushing Ronon back and around so that he could straddle his lap. It was hard and messy, with bumping noses and too much teeth followed quickly by too much tongue. His hands clutched at Ronon's ears as if he expected Ronon to flee. Ronon wrapped his hands around Sheppard's hips instead, pulling him closer. He groaned at how hard Sheppard was.

"Like you too," Sheppard whispered once they stopped to breathe.

"Sheppard…"

"John. Call me John when we're alone," Sheppard ordered. "That's my name."

"Thought John was the family name and Sheppard was your name," Ronon said, surprised. "So McKay is actually Rodney?"

Sheppard, no _John,_ laughed. It wasn't his normal smothered laugh. This time it was a honking thing that made Ronon grin at him with delight. He'd have to inspire that laugh a lot more often. John shook his head at Ronon, rubbing their hips together in an unmistakable invitation. Their lips drifted back together. This time Ronon was able to slow John down so that they could properly enjoy it.

"Fuck," John panted.

"Can do that too if you want," Ronon whispered. "We've got time. Tonight and tomorrow and the next night. And way longer after that."

"Wraith," John growled, pulling Ronon close.

"I'll kill 'em," Ronon promised.

"Explosions," John mumbled as he nibbled on Ronon's neck tattoo. "Crisis of the day."

"Rodney will fix it." Ronon groaned at the bite he got.

"Military." John's fingers were working the laces open on Ronon's shirt so Ronon returned the favor, stripping John's shirt off.

"Idiots," Ronon said as he flipped John on his back on the couch cushions. "Mine."

"Yes!" John gasped.

He said that a lot as Ronon stripped off his pants and underwear so that he could get access to John's erection. He was out of practice after seven years on the run but it seemed like John was even more out of practice so it didn't matter much. Ronon's mouth on him inspired wonderful, lusty, desperate moans for more, harder, deeper. Ronon obliged, surprising himself by coming in his pants as soon as he tasted John's release.

"Oh fuck," John panted. "Ronon…"

"Beautiful," Ronon whispered, licking his lips.

He was beautiful stretched out naked on the couch with sweat glistening on his skin. He had one arm under his head while the other toyed with one of Ronon's dreads. Ronon didn't think he'd ever seen anything as sexy as John after an orgasm.

"Want me to…?" John gestured towards Ronon in invitation.

"Too late," Ronon admitted with a little blush. "Next time?"

"You're so on," John said, grinning at him. "Give it a few minutes. Then it's your turn."

"Oh yeah," Ronon said. "I think I can deal with that."

John grinned and got up, pulling Ronon to the bed. It was too small but that just seemed to give him an excuse to get closer to Ronon. Ronon hoped that this would be all right. The rest of the expedition seemed to want John to be happy. Ronon certainly did.

"Mine?" Ronon asked as John stripped his pants off and set to work licking him clean.

"Nope," John said with a mischievous look in his eyes. "You're _my_ Specialist First Class. Everyone else can back off. All mine." He swallowed Ronon whole.

"Yes!"


End file.
